Fantastic Beasts 3 Achieves New Record Without Johnny Depp

Fantastic Beasts 3 has been released without the support of Johnny Depp and his loyal fans. The new entry has also acheived a new record due to this occurance.

By James Brizuela | Published

fantastic beasts 3

Johnny Depp is currently stuck in a legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp is currently suing her for defamation of character in the sum of $50 million. Part of the reason for his lawsuit is that he was let go from the Fantastic Beasts franchise because of the ongoing issues with Heard. While fans of the franchise were surely upset that Depp would no longer portray Grindelwald, Mads Mikkelsen stepped in to take over. He’s an amazing actor, however, Fantastic Beasts 3 achieved a new and terrible record without the Depp man. The new film had a meager $43 million opening, leaving it as the worst in the entire Harry Potter franchise.

Fantastic Beasts 3 has beaten out its predecessor as the worst opening, but fans were also not that thrilled about the Crimes of Grindelwald, as the response and numbers for that film were also on the lower side. Even with the film ending on a cliffhanger, losing Johnny Depp has clearly affected the new spin-off franchise. The plan for this new Harry Potter world was a five-film franchise, but if Warner Bros doesnt find a way to pivot things back in the right direction, they could just as easily abandon this new set of films. These low numbers might also be a response to the public opinion of Harry Potter creator, J.K. Rowling. She has made headlines plenty for her views on the trans community. Whatever the case is, Depp supporters have likely got to be laughing to themselves. It seems the move to replace the actor has clearly affected numbers, whether anyone is willing to admit it. Having to recast characters never goes over that well, and that is certainly the case for the new villain who is meant to last through the entirety of this new franchise.

mads mikkselsen

Harry Potter should have honestly been left alone after the first franchise ended. It was highly successful and so magical that it should have stayed that way. However, the way of Hollywood is to milk every success for every penny it’s worth. A spin-off play titled Harry Potter and the Cursed Child follows Harry Potter, who is now head of the Ministry of Magic. While this is a continuation story, Daniel Radcliffe claimed he would never be a part of it. That should have been the sign to end the franchise and let it rest and be as glorious as it is. Instead, Fantastic Beasts was created and hasn’t been that well-received. Seems that Fantastic Beasts 3 is even less well-received. Johnny Depp fans can now say “I told you so.”

Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently out in theaters, and fans can go see what the fuss is about, and how Mads Mikkelsen portrays Grindelwald. He is still an amazing actor and one that can keep pace with Johnny Depp. However, based on the opening numbers, it seems that fans would rather move on with their lives than take in another of these new Harry Potter stories. This new franchise might just not have been the route to take in expanding this universe.